In a shocking turn of events, St Paul’s College at the University of Sydney has taken drastic action following a serious bullying incident, expelling six students and suspending another 21.
The prestigious residential college, which only became fully co-ed last year, finds itself once again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Dr Ed Loane, the warden of St Paul’s, didn’t mince words when addressing the situation. He described the college as being “shocked and deeply disappointed” by the actions of some students who engaged in “humiliation-type behaviours” towards another student within their friendship group.
The college’s swift response included an immediate investigation upon learning of the incident. Dr Loane emphasised that the behaviour was “contrary to our values and standards”, leading to the expulsion of the main perpetrators and the suspension of bystanders who failed to intervene.
“Our response, upon learning of this and conducting a thorough investigation, has been to expel the perpetrators and suspend the bystanders who failed to intervene,” Loane told the Sydney Morning Herald in a statement.
This isn’t the first time St Paul’s has faced scrutiny over its culture. Back in 2018, former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick conducted an investigation that uncovered problems with sexism, binge-drinking, and ritual humiliation.
The report found students were being forced to eat sheep’s hearts during initiation traditions and regularly celebrated different achievements by taking girls to a room filled with mattresses coined the “bone room”. Women were allegedly invited by boys during Orientation Week, told to come in fancy dress and were wined and dined before being shown the room.
“At the O Week Bone Room, this pressure is compounded by the fact that the girls have only arrived on campus a week before,” described Honi Soit, the student newspaper.
The college had promised to address these issues and implement all recommendations from the report at the time.
The University of Sydney has thrown its support behind St Paul’s current disciplinary actions. A spokesperson for the university stated they’re “following up directly to understand additional steps the college is taking to manage this issue and ensure the safety and wellbeing of students”.
Dr Loane has assured that support is being provided to affected students, and the college will review and strengthen its training programs. These programs, run by external providers, cover bullying and harassment awareness, prevention, and appropriate use of social media.
Lead image: (Image: St Paul’s College)
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